Keep resolutions with a clean slate in the kitchen

Organize the pantry to save time, effort

Even in just a small nook, a pantry offers a chance to turn food storage into display. Here vintage tins and utensils mingle with kitchen staples, eliminating the need for the kitchen to be crowded with cabinets.

Try designating specific areas for different items such as canned goods and pasta. Go a step further and use baskets or dividers to separate items into breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks.

For busy moms who hope to cook more often, Cunningham suggests designating shelf space or a basket and setting aside ingredients for the next night's dinner.

“You won't have to go on a scouting trip,” Cunningham says. “You'll already know what you're making for dinner.”

Once the pantry is in order, professional organizer Terri Wells recommends taking a good hard look at what's in your fridge.

Wells recommends starting anew and emptying the fridge of expired items. Her motto: “If in doubt, toss it out.”

After wiping down and drying shelves and drawers, Wells recommends sorting items by category before returning them to a designated zone.

“Use pull-out drawers for easier access to items that get lost in the back of the shelf and you can use a lazy Susan with at least a 2-inch lip to hold products in place,” Wells suggests.

Set aside an area for leftovers to cut the time of digging through the fridge trying to figure out what's what. Keep in mind that you don't want to grow cultures in your fridge.

“Be diligent in purging them if not eaten within a few days — always think food safety when storing leftovers,” Wells says.

Cunningham and Wells suggest keeping a pen and pad near the pantry or fridge and avoiding pointless trips to the grocery market by keeping a running list and sticking to it.

No, tidy pantries don't come equipped with magical elves that will restock your staples. Be prepared to put in the work required when trying to keep an organized kitchen.

Let family members and roommates in on the new system and keep detailed photos of what your pantry looks like when it's clean. Don't forget to pat yourself on the back once this resolution turns into a habit.

“Celebrate those milestones of whatever meal you made — make it a big deal,” Cunningham says.